The Awareness Center closed. We operated from April 30, 1999 - April 30, 2014. This site is being provided for educational & historical purposes.
We were the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA); and were dedicated to ending sexual violence in Jewish communities globally. We did our best to operate as the make a wish foundation for Jewish survivors of sex crimes. In the past we offered a clearinghouse of information, resources, support and advocacy.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A
rabbi wrote to The Awareness Center recently answering some the
question we put out regarding what does Jewish law say we should do with
a sex offender.

We are currently working on an article with the answers, yet I thought it was important to mention that the
Talmud in Masechet Sanhedrin 73a discusses the law of "rodef" (the
pursuer). It rules that a person is obligated to prevent a murder, or a
rape of a betrothed (or married) woman, even if the only possibility of
preventing the murder or the rape is by killing the would-be murderer
or rapist.

The law regarding the would-be rapist only applies to a married woman
because these women are forbidden by Torah law to the would-be rapist.
We are still looking into what should be done with those who unmarried
men and women. Also those who rape or molest our children (both related
and non-related offenders). If you have information you would like to
share on these topics please forward them to VickiPolin@aol.com

Contemporary scoffers, the Mashgiach pointed out, like to accuse the chareidi community of "sweeping things under the carpet." They are right, he explained, but not in the way they mean. "Do they know how many perpetrators" of sins against others "have been dealt with?" No, he explained, because when actions are taken against individuals who have proven themselves untrustworthy, we do not trumpet our actions. Even as we take what steps are necessary to help protect others, we also seek to protect human dignity. And when crimes are asserted but not proven, we are guided not by a mob mentality but by the Torah. That, the Mashgiach declared, is not cowardice but courage.

Thursday night's plenary session began with a moving audio- visual
presentation dedicated to the devastating fire that Camp Agudah suffered
this past summer, and the impressive efforts that, with Hashem's help,
helped the camp recover in time to provide campers a truly memorable
summer. Rabbi Meir Frischman, the camp director, provided a moving and
inspiring chronicle of the events.

The session then turned to an issue both timely and timeless: the
imperative to show honor and deference to Torah authority. Against a
background of relentless assault on talmidei chachomim and even gedolim,
in the street and in the media â€” and, as noted by the evening's
chairman and convention co-chairman Rabbi Dovid Schnell, president of
Agudath Israel of Illinois, through the new phenomenon of internet-based
weblogs, or "blogs" â€” the evening symposia's three speakers presented
much food for thought.

The session's title was "Torah Wisdom/Torah Authority: Are We Losing the
Connection?" and its first speaker was Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman, rosh
hayeshiva of Yeshiva Maor Yitzchok and rav of Congregation Ahavas Torah
(Monsey).

Generations and Their Leaders

Rabbi Wachsman began by noting that attacks on daas Torah have been with
us since the time of Moshe Rabbenu, and that present-day scoffers are
but actors in the tradition of Korach, the Tziddukim and the Maskilim.
He then offered a perceptive insight into the gemora's account of the
experience of Choni Hame'agel, whom Chazal described as having slept for
70 years. Returning to a society that revered his memory and teachings
but refused to believe he was who he was, he prayed for death, a request
that was granted.

Could Choni, Rabbi Wachsman asked, not simply have proven himself with
his Torah wisdom, or begun anew as a teacher of Torah? Here, Rabbi
Wachsman contended, we have a most important lesson: Each generation
needs to receive its mesorah from its own gedolim. Choni had much to
teach to his own generation, and what he taught was passed on to future
ones as well, to be sure. But it had to be passed on only through the
leaders of each subsequent generation. Dor dor vedorshov.

Thus, Rabbi Wachsman explained, we cannot establish a mode of behavior
based on the words of an early authority alone. We cannot look, for
example, to the Rambam's words to guide us in how our society should
ensure Torah-study, but at the words of Rav Aharon and other gedolim of
recent generations and our own generation. That is how mesorah works, he
said, and the gedolim of our time must be recognized as those most
qualified to interpret, distill and apply Torah truths to the challenges
we face today.

Whether the issue was the Bais Yaakov movement in the time of the
Chofetz Chaim or Israel's drafting of women in the Chazon Ish's,
"proofs" from the gemora and Rishonim proffered by lesser people were
not germane; what mattered were the deep understandings, honed by
tzidkus and years of intense Torah-study, of the true manhigei hador of
each generation.

Those who seek to undermine the deference to Daas Torah demanded of us,
said Rabbi Wachsman, are oblivious to the import of that ideal, and can
only seek to attribute what they don't understand to "parallels" in
larger society â€” inaccurately comparing, for example, the principle of
daas Torah to the Catholic conception of papal infallibility
(lehavdil), or chareidi rabbinic leaders to Islamic fundamentalists
(lehavdil again).

These misguided individuals do not realize how unique the Jew's
relationship to the manhigei hador truly is. To the scoffers, what is
latest is by definition what is best; to a Godol, what is new must be
scrutinized carefully.

Bringing It All Home

To be sure, Rabbi Wachsman continued, there are certainly issues and
situations that need to be addressed by our gedolim. But to blame
gedolim, who work so tirelessly and with such great personal sacrifice
on behalf of Klal Yisroel and individual Jews, for even real and present
communal problems, is something cruel and evil.

In the end, though, the Rosh Hayeshiva exhorted, what is important is
not to speak about "them" but about "us." The world without, he
explained, is a mirror of who we are. Do we ourselves listen to what the
gedolim of our time say only when it is comfortable for us? Pointing to
the example of the "simcha guidelines" issued by gedolei Yisroel four
years ago, designed to tone down chasunos and related celebrations, the
Rosh Hayeshiva asked: "Do we just talk about daas Torah, or live it?"

Rabbi Wachsman's message was clear: When our own deference to gedolim is
real and strong, we will be spared the scoffing and worse of those who
hate Torah and its exemplars.

Balderdash, Blogs and Bashing

The evening's second speaker was Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive
vice-president for government and public affairs for Agudath Israel of
America. He began by calling attention to the crassly negative tone of
political advertisements evident during the period leading up to the
recent elections, and presented it as a reflection of larger society's
tolerance for what, to a Torah-hashkofoh-tuned mind, is nothing short of
forbidden speech.

In American libel law, he explained, "truth is an absolute defense,"
whereas the prohibition against loshon hora concerns accurate
information. And when it comes to public figures, even outright untruths
are protected by American law, as long as "actual malice" cannot be
proven. How "diametrically opposed," observed Rabbi Zwiebel, is the
halachic attitude toward the slander of Torah leaders, which is
considered an especially grievous sin. Indeed, he noted, halochoh
requires that talmidei chachomim be judged favorably even in situations
where other people may not be entitled to the benefit of the doubt.

The Agudath Israel leader went on to note how the societal acceptance of
mockery and slander has infiltrated the Jewish world and how Torah
scholars and leaders have become the targets of some whose anger and
frustrations blind them from both seeing reality and recognizing what is
acceptable and what is not.

Rabbi Zwiebel focused on two contemporary manifestations of the problem.
One was an ostensibly Orthodox newspaper that demonstrates contempt for
rabbonim and gedolim who dare to take a different approach to some
political issues from the paper's own, and publishes letters to the
editor that openly mock talmidei chachomim. The second was "blogs," and
the Agudath Israel leader quoted from one comment left on one such
virtual soapbox, which contended that "the best thing about blogging is
the anonymity. You could be shaking a rosh yeshiva, rav or rebbe's hand
by day and then bash him in the evening."

That, Rabbi Zwiebel contended, well captured the mindset and the evil to which the medium can be, and too often is, put to use.

Our Messages to Our Young

Like Rabbi Wachsman before him though, Rabbi Zwiebel exhorted his
listeners to turn inward, and to think about how destructive a
thoughtlessly denigrating comment to a child about his rebbe can be.
"What message," he asked, "does that send to a child?"

Not only is such denigration indefensible, it is particularly outrageous
regarding the dedicated mechanchim of our children, he continued,
illustrating his characterization of rabbeim by reading a note his son
received from his sixth grade rebbe in which the rebbe took great pains
to correct a small error in something he had taught, and apologized to
his talmidim for the mistake. "We are so fortunate," the Agudath Israel
leader said, "that such people are being mechanech our children."

He went on to show how central the concept of daas Torah has always been
to Agudath Israel, and recounted how happy Rabbi Moshe Sherer was when a
Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah decision went against the expert advice of a
lay panel of experts. "This," he quoted the late president of Agudath
Israel of America as having explained at the time, "is why I came to
Agudas Yisroel."

"Who would you rather have making such decisions?" Rabbi Sherer had explained. "You and I, or the gedolei Yisroel?"

Subservience to Authority

Citing Chazal's dictum, "Asei lecho rav â€” Establish a rabbinic
authority for yourself," Rabbi Zwiebel declared that even those who do
not look specifically to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah as the ultimate
arbiter of daas Torah must nonetheless defer to their own rabbonim.
Whatever latitude may be inherent in the "asei lecho" part of the
equation, he averred, in no way undermines the ultimate subservience to
rabbinic authority inherent in the "rav" part of the equation.

Such subservience requires one to accept the judgment of the rabbinic
authority even if it is at variance with his own judgment, Rabbi Zwiebel
said. As the Sifsei Chachomim explains on the Rashi in Parshas Shofetim
quoting Chazal that one may not deviate from the ruling of the rabbinic
judge, "even if he tells you that right is left and left is right," in
such situations a Jew is obliged to assume that the mistake in judgment
is his own.

Furthermore, even if the rabbinic authority should be mistaken, the
Agudath Israel leader stated, it is incumbent upon the community to
defer to his judgment â€” "and not that each person should do as he
personally understands, because that will lead to `churban hadas',
communal division and total national loss," in the words of the Sefer
Hachinuch.

Two Very Different Visions

And so, the speaker concluded, we have two visions before us, "a vision
of the people, by the people, for the people, a vision of free speech,
freedom of the press, a vision of skepticism and cynicism, a vision
designed to find flaws": and a second vision, that of recognizing that
there is a hierarchy in Klal Yisroel, that we need the misnas'im al
kehal Hashem, and that any attempt to knock them down is ma'aseh
Korach."

Today, "more starkly and clearly than ever before," declared Rabbi
Zwiebel, "which path we ultimately take will decide whether we will
continue to thrive as a Torah community or, chas vesholom, face churban
hadas. May it be Hashem's will," he concluded, in the words of the
weekday post-krias haTorah tefilloh, "that He preserve among us the
sages of Israel, they and their wives, their sons and their daughters,
their disciples and the disciples of their disciples, in all their
dwelling places, and let us say omein."

Demonstrating Deference

The evening's feature address was then delivered by the Mashgiach of
Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon, who began by
noting how the Haggodoh introduces the "four sons" with a reference to
Hakodosh Boruch Hu's giving of the Torah to Klal Yisroel. The implicit
lesson, the Mashgiach explained, is that only the Torah can provide the
tools for knowing how precisely we are to interact with individuals,
each of whom must be dealt with according to his own personality.

Rabbi Salomon then proceeded to note that the response the Haggodoh
provides for the rosho's challenge is not the one the posuk assigns to
the words of the rosho's question in the Torah. What is more, the
Mashgiach pointed out, the Haggodoh's response to that son is not
couched as an answer, or "amira," at all.

Many answer, Rabbi Salomon said, that the Baal Haggodoh is teaching us
not what to answer the rosho, but rather how to react to the derision he
voices, not to be impressed with his challenge, to respond by stating a
fact that will set his teeth on edge. Thus, the Mashgiach explained,
the scoffer, seeing our firmness and determination, may just be shaken,
and perhaps brought to do teshuvoh. For we must remember that Klal
Yisroel bowed in gratitude at the "besuras habonim" heralded by the
rosho's question; bringing reshoim back into the fold, which we can do
if we choose our responses correctly, is our ultimate hope.

That our answer to the tam is the same as to the rosho, Rabbi Salomon
continued, may imply that we must provide him the answer to use should
the rosho scoff to him. For we must strengthen all of our children, and
give them the ammunition with which to fight back when their beliefs are
attacked.

But, the Mashgiach stressed, echoing the other speakers of the evening,
"we did not come here to criticize or attack others, but to strengthen
ourselves," to ensure that the "insidious poison" not seep into our
homes, to "immunize ourselves" against the plague of anger toward and
mockery of talmidei chachomim and gedolei Yisroel.

One suggestion he offered for accomplishing that immunization was to be
extremely careful that our Shabbos tables be filled with simcha shel
mitzvah and words that bespeak ahavas talmidei chachomim, not, cholila,
anything that might be construed as the opposite. "Let our children see
whom we respect. Let us be more demonstrative of our deference to
authority." Our children, he averred, have to feel that respect and
deference, and they can only feel it if we do ourselves.

Rabbi Salomon took pains to declare that we have no complaint against
anyone asking questions about our convictions, or even disagreeing â€”
agreeably â€” with stances we have seen fit to take. But, he explained,
when it is done with cynicism and derision, when vulgar language and
sentiments are used to denigrate rabbonim, manhigim and talmidei
chachomim, "we must rise to their defense."

Even, sadly, when wrong things are done, we cannot stand by when a
"broad brush" is used to smear those to whom we look for guidance and
daas Torah.

Contemporary scoffers, the Mashgiach pointed out, like to accuse the
chareidi community of "sweeping things under the carpet." They are
right, he explained, but not in the way they mean. "Do they know how
many perpetrators" of sins against others "have been dealt with?" No, he
explained, because when actions are taken against individuals who have
proven themselves untrustworthy, we do not trumpet our actions. Even as
we take what steps are necessary to help protect others, we also seek to
protect human dignity. And when crimes are asserted but not proven, we
are guided not by a mob mentality but by the Torah. That, the Mashgiach
declared, is not cowardice but courage.

As the night's topic is so painful, Rabbi Salomon concluded, and as we
cannot even know how many people are influenced by the unwarranted
criticism and mockery of Torah-scholars so prevalent today, "it would be
fitting to show our response" to the words spoken over the course of
the evening "not by clapping" but rather "by standing up, and being
mechabeid the gedolei Torah" of our times. That, he declared, is how we
have to be mesakein the bizoyon. "We are soldiers. We are mekadshei
Sheim Shomayim."

And with that, all in the large assemblage rose from their seats and
joined the Lakewood Mashgiach in declaring their allegiance to Torah and
its transmitters, loudly and clearly, "Atoh hor'eiso loda'as, ki Hashem
Hu ho'Elokim, ein od milevado!"

A
rabbi wrote to The Awareness Center recently answering some the
question we put out regarding what does Jewish law say we should do with
a sex offender.

We are currently working on an article with the answers, yet I thought it was important to mention that the
Talmud in Masechet Sanhedrin 73a discusses the law of "rodef" (the
pursuer). It rules that a person is obligated to prevent a murder, or a
rape of a betrothed (or married) woman, even if the only possibility of
preventing the murder or the rape is by killing the would-be murderer
or rapist.

The law regarding the would-be rapist only applies to a married woman
because these women are forbidden by Torah law to the would-be rapist.
We are still looking into what should be done with those who unmarried
men and women. Also those who rape or molest our children (both related
and non-related offenders). If you have information you would like to
share on these topics please forward them to VickiPolin@aol.com
>Contemporary scoffers, the Mashgiach pointed out, like to accuse the chareidi
>community of "sweeping things under the carpet." They are right, he explained,
>but not in the way they mean. "Do they know how many perpetrators" of sins
>against others "have been dealt with?" No, he explained, because when actions
>are taken against individuals who have proven themselves untrustworthy, we do
>not trumpet our actions. Even as we take what steps are necessary to help
>protect others, we also seek to protect human dignity. And when crimes are
>asserted but not proven, we are guided not by a mob mentality but by the
>Torah. That, the Mashgiach declared, is not cowardice but courage.

Thursday night's plenary session began with a moving audio- visual
presentation dedicated to the devastating fire that Camp Agudah suffered
this past summer, and the impressive efforts that, with Hashem's help,
helped the camp recover in time to provide campers a truly memorable
summer. Rabbi Meir Frischman, the camp director, provided a moving and
inspiring chronicle of the events.

The session then turned to an issue both timely and timeless: the
imperative to show honor and deference to Torah authority. Against a
background of relentless assault on talmidei chachomim and even gedolim,
in the street and in the media ” and, as noted by the evening's
chairman and convention co-chairman Rabbi Dovid Schnell, president of
Agudath Israel of Illinois, through the new phenomenon of internet-based
weblogs, or "blogs" ” the evening symposia's three speakers presented
much food for thought.

The session's title was "Torah Wisdom/Torah Authority: Are We Losing the
Connection?" and its first speaker was Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman, rosh
hayeshiva of Yeshiva Maor Yitzchok and rav of Congregation Ahavas Torah
(Monsey).

Generations and Their Leaders
Rabbi Wachsman began by noting that attacks on daas Torah have been with
us since the time of Moshe Rabbenu, and that present-day scoffers are
but actors in the tradition of Korach, the Tziddukim and the Maskilim.
He then offered a perceptive insight into the gemora's account of the
experience of Choni Hame'agel, whom Chazal described as having slept for
70 years. Returning to a society that revered his memory and teachings
but refused to believe he was who he was, he prayed for death, a request
that was granted.

Could Choni, Rabbi Wachsman asked, not simply have proven himself with
his Torah wisdom, or begun anew as a teacher of Torah? Here, Rabbi
Wachsman contended, we have a most important lesson: Each generation
needs to receive its mesorah from its own gedolim. Choni had much to
teach to his own generation, and what he taught was passed on to future
ones as well, to be sure. But it had to be passed on only through the
leaders of each subsequent generation. Dor dor vedorshov.

Thus, Rabbi Wachsman explained, we cannot establish a mode of behavior
based on the words of an early authority alone. We cannot look, for
example, to the Rambam's words to guide us in how our society should
ensure Torah-study, but at the words of Rav Aharon and other gedolim of
recent generations and our own generation. That is how mesorah works, he
said, and the gedolim of our time must be recognized as those most
qualified to interpret, distill and apply Torah truths to the challenges
we face today.

Whether the issue was the Bais Yaakov movement in the time of the
Chofetz Chaim or Israel's drafting of women in the Chazon Ish's,
"proofs" from the gemora and Rishonim proffered by lesser people were
not germane; what mattered were the deep understandings, honed by
tzidkus and years of intense Torah-study, of the true manhigei hador of
each generation.

Those who seek to undermine the deference to Daas Torah demanded of us,
said Rabbi Wachsman, are oblivious to the import of that ideal, and can
only seek to attribute what they don't understand to "parallels" in
larger society â€” inaccurately comparing, for example, the principle of
daas Torah to the Catholic conception of papal infallibility
(lehavdil), or chareidi rabbinic leaders to Islamic fundamentalists
(lehavdil again).

These misguided individuals do not realize how unique the Jew's
relationship to the manhigei hador truly is. To the scoffers, what is
latest is by definition what is best; to a Godol, what is new must be
scrutinized carefully.

Bringing It All Home
To be sure, Rabbi Wachsman continued, there are certainly issues and
situations that need to be addressed by our gedolim. But to blame
gedolim, who work so tirelessly and with such great personal sacrifice
on behalf of Klal Yisroel and individual Jews, for even real and present
communal problems, is something cruel and evil.

In the end, though, the Rosh Hayeshiva exhorted, what is important is
not to speak about "them" but about "us." The world without, he
explained, is a mirror of who we are. Do we ourselves listen to what the
gedolim of our time say only when it is comfortable for us? Pointing to
the example of the "simcha guidelines" issued by gedolei Yisroel four
years ago, designed to tone down chasunos and related celebrations, the
Rosh Hayeshiva asked: "Do we just talk about daas Torah, or live it?"

Rabbi Wachsman's message was clear: When our own deference to gedolim is
real and strong, we will be spared the scoffing and worse of those who
hate Torah and its exemplars.

Balderdash, Blogs and Bashing
The evening's second speaker was Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive
vice-president for government and public affairs for Agudath Israel of
America. He began by calling attention to the crassly negative tone of
political advertisements evident during the period leading up to the
recent elections, and presented it as a reflection of larger society's
tolerance for what, to a Torah-hashkofoh-tuned mind, is nothing short of
forbidden speech.

In American libel law, he explained, "truth is an absolute defense,"
whereas the prohibition against loshon hora concerns accurate
information. And when it comes to public figures, even outright untruths
are protected by American law, as long as "actual malice" cannot be
proven. How "diametrically opposed," observed Rabbi Zwiebel, is the
halachic attitude toward the slander of Torah leaders, which is
considered an especially grievous sin. Indeed, he noted, halochoh
requires that talmidei chachomim be judged favorably even in situations
where other people may not be entitled to the benefit of the doubt.

The Agudath Israel leader went on to note how the societal acceptance of
mockery and slander has infiltrated the Jewish world and how Torah
scholars and leaders have become the targets of some whose anger and
frustrations blind them from both seeing reality and recognizing what is
acceptable and what is not.

Rabbi Zwiebel focused on two contemporary manifestations of the problem.
One was an ostensibly Orthodox newspaper that demonstrates contempt for
rabbonim and gedolim who dare to take a different approach to some
political issues from the paper's own, and publishes letters to the
editor that openly mock talmidei chachomim. The second was "blogs," and
the Agudath Israel leader quoted from one comment left on one such
virtual soapbox, which contended that "the best thing about blogging is
the anonymity. You could be shaking a rosh yeshiva, rav or rebbe's hand
by day and then bash him in the evening."

That, Rabbi Zwiebel contended, well captured the mindset and the evil to which the medium can be, and too often is, put to use.

Our Messages to Our Young
Like Rabbi Wachsman before him though, Rabbi Zwiebel exhorted his
listeners to turn inward, and to think about how destructive a
thoughtlessly denigrating comment to a child about his rebbe can be.
"What message," he asked, "does that send to a child?"

Not only is such denigration indefensible, it is particularly outrageous
regarding the dedicated mechanchim of our children, he continued,
illustrating his characterization of rabbeim by reading a note his son
received from his sixth grade rebbe in which the rebbe took great pains
to correct a small error in something he had taught, and apologized to
his talmidim for the mistake. "We are so fortunate," the Agudath Israel
leader said, "that such people are being mechanech our children."

He went on to show how central the concept of daas Torah has always been
to Agudath Israel, and recounted how happy Rabbi Moshe Sherer was when a
Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah decision went against the expert advice of a
lay panel of experts. "This," he quoted the late president of Agudath
Israel of America as having explained at the time, "is why I came to
Agudas Yisroel."

"Who would you rather have making such decisions?" Rabbi Sherer had explained. "You and I, or the gedolei Yisroel?"

Subservience to Authority
Citing Chazal's dictum, "Asei lecho rav” Establish a rabbinic
authority for yourself," Rabbi Zwiebel declared that even those who do
not look specifically to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah as the ultimate
arbiter of daas Torah must nonetheless defer to their own rabbonim.
Whatever latitude may be inherent in the "asei lecho" part of the
equation, he averred, in no way undermines the ultimate subservience to
rabbinic authority inherent in the "rav" part of the equation.

Such subservience requires one to accept the judgment of the rabbinic
authority even if it is at variance with his own judgment, Rabbi Zwiebel
said. As the Sifsei Chachomim explains on the Rashi in Parshas Shofetim
quoting Chazal that one may not deviate from the ruling of the rabbinic
judge, "even if he tells you that right is left and left is right," in
such situations a Jew is obliged to assume that the mistake in judgment
is his own.

Furthermore, even if the rabbinic authority should be mistaken, the
Agudath Israel leader stated, it is incumbent upon the community to
defer to his judgment” "and not that each person should do as he
personally understands, because that will lead to `churban hadas',
communal division and total national loss," in the words of the Sefer
Hachinuch.

Two Very Different Visions
And so, the speaker concluded, we have two visions before us, "a vision
of the people, by the people, for the people, a vision of free speech,
freedom of the press, a vision of skepticism and cynicism, a vision
designed to find flaws": and a second vision, that of recognizing that
there is a hierarchy in Klal Yisroel, that we need the misnas'im al
kehal Hashem, and that any attempt to knock them down is ma'aseh
Korach."

Today, "more starkly and clearly than ever before," declared Rabbi
Zwiebel, "which path we ultimately take will decide whether we will
continue to thrive as a Torah community or, chas vesholom, face churban
hadas. May it be Hashem's will," he concluded, in the words of the
weekday post-krias haTorah tefilloh, "that He preserve among us the
sages of Israel, they and their wives, their sons and their daughters,
their disciples and the disciples of their disciples, in all their
dwelling places, and let us say omein."

Demonstrating Deference
The evening's feature address was then delivered by the Mashgiach of
Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon, who began by
noting how the Haggodoh introduces the "four sons" with a reference to
Hakodosh Boruch Hu's giving of the Torah to Klal Yisroel. The implicit
lesson, the Mashgiach explained, is that only the Torah can provide the
tools for knowing how precisely we are to interact with individuals,
each of whom must be dealt with according to his own personality.

Rabbi Salomon then proceeded to note that the response the Haggodoh
provides for the rosho's challenge is not the one the posuk assigns to
the words of the rosho's question in the Torah. What is more, the
Mashgiach pointed out, the Haggodoh's response to that son is not
couched as an answer, or "amira," at all.

Many answer, Rabbi Salomon said, that the Baal Haggodoh is teaching us
not what to answer the rosho, but rather how to react to the derision he
voices, not to be impressed with his challenge, to respond by stating a
fact that will set his teeth on edge. Thus, the Mashgiach explained,
the scoffer, seeing our firmness and determination, may just be shaken,
and perhaps brought to do teshuvoh. For we must remember that Klal
Yisroel bowed in gratitude at the "besuras habonim" heralded by the
rosho's question; bringing reshoim back into the fold, which we can do
if we choose our responses correctly, is our ultimate hope.

That our answer to the tam is the same as to the rosho, Rabbi Salomon
continued, may imply that we must provide him the answer to use should
the rosho scoff to him. For we must strengthen all of our children, and
give them the ammunition with which to fight back when their beliefs are
attacked.

But, the Mashgiach stressed, echoing the other speakers of the evening,
"we did not come here to criticize or attack others, but to strengthen
ourselves," to ensure that the "insidious poison" not seep into our
homes, to "immunize ourselves" against the plague of anger toward and
mockery of talmidei chachomim and gedolei Yisroel.

One suggestion he offered for accomplishing that immunization was to be
extremely careful that our Shabbos tables be filled with simcha shel
mitzvah and words that bespeak ahavas talmidei chachomim, not, cholila,
anything that might be construed as the opposite. "Let our children see
whom we respect. Let us be more demonstrative of our deference to
authority." Our children, he averred, have to feel that respect and
deference, and they can only feel it if we do ourselves.

Rabbi Salomon took pains to declare that we have no complaint against
anyone asking questions about our convictions, or even disagreeing â€”
agreeably â€” with stances we have seen fit to take. But, he explained,
when it is done with cynicism and derision, when vulgar language and
sentiments are used to denigrate rabbonim, manhigim and talmidei
chachomim, "we must rise to their defense."

Even, sadly, when wrong things are done, we cannot stand by when a
"broad brush" is used to smear those to whom we look for guidance and
daas Torah.

Contemporary scoffers, the Mashgiach pointed out, like to accuse the
chareidi community of "sweeping things under the carpet." They are
right, he explained, but not in the way they mean. "Do they know how
many perpetrators" of sins against others "have been dealt with?" No, he
explained, because when actions are taken against individuals who have
proven themselves untrustworthy, we do not trumpet our actions. Even as
we take what steps are necessary to help protect others, we also seek to
protect human dignity. And when crimes are asserted but not proven, we
are guided not by a mob mentality but by the Torah. That, the Mashgiach
declared, is not cowardice but courage.

As the night's topic is so painful, Rabbi Salomon concluded, and as we
cannot even know how many people are influenced by the unwarranted
criticism and mockery of Torah-scholars so prevalent today, "it would be
fitting to show our response" to the words spoken over the course of
the evening "not by clapping" but rather "by standing up, and being
mechabeid the gedolei Torah" of our times. That, he declared, is how we
have to be mesakein the bizoyon. "We are soldiers. We are mekadshei
Sheim Shomayim."

And with that, all in the large assemblage rose from their seats and
joined the Lakewood Mashgiach in declaring their allegiance to Torah and
its transmitters, loudly and clearly, "Atoh hor'eiso loda'as, ki Hashem
Hu ho'Elokim, ein od milevado!"

Monday, November 27, 2006

Sir, - I was outraged by the title "Experts: Sela poses 'no immediate' danger to women" (November 27), which can give unsuspecting women a false sense of safety. Benny Sela should be seen as extremely dangerous no matter if it's his first hour or first week on the run.

Prof. Zvi Zemishlany is correct that "An escaped serial rapist is like a wild animal who hides." The problem: If Sela is hiding in a location where an unsuspecting woman is present, the likelihood of her being assaulted is extremely high.

Research into the treatment of sex offenders is still in its infancy. As of yet there has been no proven treatment for those who offend, especially for violent sex offenders such as Benny Sela.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Yosef Meystel has been accused of child molestation
during the time he was the administrator of the
Rabbi Naftoli RiffYeshiva in South Bend, IN.He is currently employed by Rabbi MorrisEsformes who was at one time married to the wife of
"rabbi" Mordecai
Tendler nee Jofen's sister.

Esformes has a history with nursing home "deficiencies"
including numerous heat related deaths at his homes. Yosef Meystel was the administrator of the nursing home at the time. There was also allegations of
an alleged sexual assault of a female resident in one of the nursing homes.
Four days after a sweep, another resident was found to be a sex offender and
was arrested at a park where staff had taken him with other residents. As
a result of that incident, home administrator Yosef Meystel was charged with
reckless conduct, a misdemeanor.

Yosef Meystel was accused of child
molestation during the time he was the administrator of the Rabbi
Naftali Riff Yeshiva in South Bend, Indiana, and misconduct when he was
the administrator of a nursing home owned by Rabbi Morris Esformes,
whose homes have been cited for horrific abuses that led to the deaths
of residents.

Currently Yosef Meystel is employed by Yam Management, in which he overs sees the daily operations of 16 nursing home facilities.

Yosef Meystel was expelled from
Rabbi Naftoli Riff
Yeshiva in Sound Bend, Indiana when he was in 9th or 10th grade
for pulling his pants down of another boy during an argument. It is
believed that because Meystel's father donated a great deal of money he was
allowed back into the school. Yosef's father owned a well known clothing
store in Chicago at the time. There was also a rumor floating
around that Yosef Meystel's also molested one his younger
siblings. Rabbi Naftoli Gettinger was the Rosh Yeshiva (dean
of the school ) at the time. The Rav (Rabbi) was Raphael Gettinger, Naftoli's
older brother.

"Steve" attended the
Rabbi Naftoli Riff
Yeshiva in South Bend, Inc. when he was 13 years old. The 25 year-old
school administrator was Yosef Meystel. "Steve" was warned by the other boys at the school
that it was best to be on the good side of Meystel, "because if you weren't
he would harass you all the time". One of the jobs of Meystel was to organize the food
for the yeshiva (making sure it was kosher). Being in South Bend having
kosher food could be a challenge."Steve" stated that Meystel was overly generous to
him. Instead of "Steve" having to use the public pay phone in the hallway
to call home, Meystel would always let him use a private phone in an office.
"Steve"" was always grateful for this since he would often be on the phone
crying because of the illness at home. The survivor was a straight
"A" student.Meystel started
grooming
"Steve" by doing all sorts of special things for him, which lead to "Steve"
spending time in Meystel's room. Gradually Meystel started showing him
pornography, laying in bed exposing himself , and masturbating in front of
"Steve". Meystel slowly encourage "Steve" to do the same thing, and
"things progressed from there". The boys grades dropped from being
an "A" student to a "C" student."Steve" told some of his friends that Meystel wouldn't
leave him alone; yet didn't go into details about what was
happening. "Steve" left the school for summer break, never told
his family what happened and ended up returning the next year. Nothing happened
at first, so "Steve" thought he was going to be ok. After Succos (a
Jewish holiday in the fall) the abuse began. "Steve" stated he did his best
to stay away from Meystel, but things continued. When "Steve" was 14. He disclosed his secret to a few
friends. Together they decided to get Meystel on tape, which they did,
and took the tapes to the Rosh Yeshiva, Raphael Gettinger right before parents
day at the school. Steve still was not at a point he could disclose
to his parents what was happening. Rabbi Gettinger's confiscated the evidence and stated
that he would take care of the situation. Nothing was done, except
Yosef Meystel left the school a few days before the parent's day
weekend.At one point "Steve" told his parents what was happening.
"Steve's" parents confronted Rabbi Gettinger who then offered to pay for
the boy to see a therapist connected to the school. The therapist had
no training in dealing with survivors of sexual abuse, and told "Steve" to
read self help books.

"Steve" stated that at this point the rosh yeshiva
did what he could to make the incidents public knowledge and the boy was
being harassed by his classmates, being called gay, etc. He eventually
left the school. _________________________________________________________________________________

Today, Steve is 25. He graduated recently
from Towson University with a degree in science. He is awaiting response
to graduate school applications.

Steve is from an Orthodox family of eight
children. He is no longer observant. Still, he remains close to his
parents and siblings. He was a student at a Baltimore-area yeshiva and
then a yeshiva high school in the Midwest.

But along the way, everything went so very wrong.

Steve still makes his home in the Orthodox
community here in Baltimore. He was one of the disenfranchised teens who
hung out over on the corner of Strathmore and Park Heights avenues.
People grouped him and the others as "reject" kids. They had, the
community said, "Fallen off the derech," fallen off the righteous path.

"I was probably taking more trips to the principal's office than most kids, because I liked to joke around," he remembered.

His fifth-grade rabbi held a summer camp
for the boys. The highlight of the summer was an overnight camping trip
to Glyndon. Steve remembers a barbecue, baseball and swimming.It was an experience that was supposed to
be fun. It should have been memorable. Instead, it started a process
that Steve wishes he could forget.

That night, Steve and the friends in his
tent just couldn't fall asleep and were talking. This is what children
do when there's the excitement of camping, sleeping outside in tents on a
summer night.

The cackling and giggling of the children
drew attention, not from the rabbi but from his teenage son, who was
acting as a chaperone on the trip. He told the boys to stop the noise.
Finally, he told them to come to his tent.

"Shmuel Zev called us to his tent," said
Steve. "He told us to lay down, and he started telling us stories. I
noticed a hand where it shouldn't have been. It was weird."

"I knew something wasn't right, and I
reacted, but he told me to be quiet or 'My father will hear you.' But I
remember that one of the other kids started to laugh. Shmuel Zev was
switching off between the four of us underneath the blankets."

Shmuel Zev apparently was known for this
sort of behavior. Steve learned from others that he wasn't the first,
nor would he be the last.

It wouldn't be the last experience for Steve, as well.

Shmuel Zev, now 30, is in federal prison,
serving 21 years after he pleaded guilty to traveling to Alabama to have
sex with two young boys. Juravel, an insurance salesman in Savannah,
Ga., admitted to three counts of traveling to have sex with a child and
the use of the Internet to entice a child to engage in illegal sexual
acts.

He was arrested by the FBI and U.S. Postal
Inspection Service agents about a year ago at a Birmingham, Ala., hotel
after he arranged to have sex with people he believed were to be 11- and
12-year-old boys. Juravel admitted using the Internet "to attempt to
persuade, induce and entice boys to meet him for sex."

Juravel gained the attention of federal
agents when he responded to an online advertisement for "rare and
hard-to-find escort services," according to the U.S. District Court in
Savannah. The ad was posted on the Internet by an undercover agent.
Juravel requested 11- to 14-year-old boys for sex and child pornography
DVDs, according to a government affidavit. According to newspaper
accounts, Juravel mailed cash to a post office box in Birmingham and
specified the child he wanted, along with another boy "on standby."

He arrived in Birmingham on Feb. 21, 2006, to find federal agents waiting for him.

News of his arrest didn't take long to
spread, but it took Steve by surprise. He wasn't sure exactly how he
would or could handle it.

"When I first heard he was caught, it put a
fire underneath of me," said Steve. "When his story came out, it gave
me a weird feeling. I felt as if I could have done more to prevent him
from molesting other children. You know, the human mind is amazing, that
someone could take this sort of action out on a child."

Shmuel Zev was, as Steve described it, "only the beginning of his experiences with people like this."

Like many Baltimore yeshiva boys, Steve
went out of town to a high school yeshiva. His parents sent him to a
major school in the central part of the country.

It would be good for him to get a fresh
start and meet new faces. Plus, Steve describes himself as extremely
neat and meticulous. It was important that the housing offered by any
school be neat and not cluttered. And most importantly, it had to be a
school that took secular courses seriously. His science, math, English
and history courses had to mean something. He wanted to go to college
one day.

His first weeks there, Steve described
himself as being homesick. Nothing strange, especially for a 13-year-old
who had never really been away from home before. He had a need to call
home. There was a phone in a corridor, but that was way too public. He
was embarrassed to let any of his classmates see the tears associated
with homesickness. The only privacy he could have to speak to his
parents on the telephone was located in the yeshiva administrator's
room.

"He started befriending me," said Steve.
"He allowed me use of the phone in his room, which was located next to
the beis midrash [study hall] dorm. Once, I was using the phone in his
room to call home. He pulled out a porno magazine. It was shocking, it
didn't seem real."

The "price" to use the telephone privately was his administrator's obsession with these magazines.

"This went on," Steve continued. "I needed
to use the phone to call my parents, and he'd be in the room with these
porno magazines. He then asked me if I would masturbate in front of him.
It was too much."

Steve kept silent about the incidents,
about the request. He did feel harassed and coerced and confused. When
he returned to the yeshiva in 10th grade, the same administrator kept
offering him the explicit magazines.

Steve was a consistent A and B student, but
now his grades started to drop. The administrator, he said, was now
offering him money to masturbate in front of him. When Steve refused,
the administrator grabbed him by the neck.

He would go on to finally tell a friend who
would tell his father. Steve was told by the school's administration to
keep the incident quiet. The administration received the complaint
about its employee three days before parents' visiting day.

Three days later, the administrator was fired. And Steve started to take personal steps backward from his Orthodox lifestyle.

"I was told by the rabbis that I was using this as an excuse to not be as religious as I should be," he said.

When Steve learned that the administrator
was engaged to be married, he had his mother telephone the bride's
family to warn them. He was then called back into the office of the rosh
yeshiva, or dean, where he was screamed at for "threatening the
sanctity of marriage."Steve's yeshiva experience ended with
expletives directed at the rosh yeshiva and screamed so loudly that his
classmates heard them come from behind the rosh yeshiva's closed door.

The administrator ended up on the staff of a
Chicago-area nursing home. Its management was under question by state
authorities for a number of reasons, including alleged sexual abuse
charges in 2005.

The Chicago Sun Times reported that
something like 10 sex offenders were living at the nursing center.
Illinois also cited incidents in which residents were trading sex for
cigarettes, passing out from drinking, and wandering off and setting
fires inside the facility.Steve would come back to his parents' home
in Baltimore after the yeshiva experience. At first, he'd spend 18 hours
a day just sleeping. He contemplated suicide. On one occasion, what
kept him alive was simply hearing the happy voice of a younger little
sister. He did not want to hurt her or miss her growing up.

But then came "the attorney." He was a
ba'al teshuva, a returnee to observance, who became involved in the
community, a guest of frum families in town for Shabbat lunches.By now, Steve was 15 and still in a
despondent state of mind. He and his family were introduced to the
bright, vivacious young man. Steve said the attorney could sense there
were issues, depression even. He would talk with the attorney, make
light conversation at the Shabbos table.

The affable attorney invited Steve to go
rent a movie with him and then head out to a "sister's" apartment in
Columbia. The attorney rented the movie "Fargo." But when the movie was
over, he put a porno movie in the VCR. There was, by the way, no sister
in Columbia, Steve would later learn.

"I just started screaming," recalled Steve.
"I asked to be taken home. He freaked out, and told me he'd take me
right home, and he asked me not to tell anyone.

"You think you're climbing up a hill and you're about to emerge from it, and then there's a mudslide."

Steve kept silent, but then while in the
neighborhood, he and a friend passed the attorney walking along Cross
Country Boulevard on a Shabbat afternoon. Steve's friend volunteered,
"There goes the child molester."

"He told me that the guy did stuff to him. The guy was a guest in his house, like, every Shabbos."

Steve and his friend did go to the rabbis,
and the attorney has since left the Baltimore area. There were never any
charges or disciplinary actions taken against the attorney.

In a meeting with a rabbinic official,
Steve was told he should work hard in own personal life to be close to
the "kisse ha coved" (the throne of glory). Instead, Steve wanted to
kill the attorney who abused him. And for months, he and a friend would
trash his car or stand outside of his Cross Country Manor apartment and
yell expletives at his window.

"I thought sometimes that I had written on my forehead the words, 'Molest me.'"

There is a way Steve describes these
incidents. He talked about how in a science class, he learned that a
cheetah can sprint swiftly at short distances, but could never keep up
with entire herds of gazelles, who can run at a quick rate for miles.

"But the cheetah," he said, "watches for
hours until he can pick out the gazelle who is lame, or the young who
can't find its mother. That's when it strikes."

What also started to "strike" Steve was the
availability of drugs. He contends that an overwhelming number of his
friends or acquaintances who were victimized by sexual predators would
begin to self-medicate, be it with alcohol, marijuana, prescription
drugs, cocaine or even heroin.

At 12-step meetings, he was overwhelmed by
the number of sexual molestation incidents he would hear as part of the
lives of those Jews in recovery. He was also, in a sense, relieved that
he wasn't the only Jewish person victimized.

Steve smoked pot, but he said his priority
was getting an education. He would go on to attend the Community College
of Baltimore, earning his degree, and then attend Towson. He wants to
work in the sciences.

"There's a lot of sick people out there,"
he said of sexual predators. "These people are in all of this for
themselves. They do not care about anybody, about you or your mental
state when they violate you. It's so rampant. It's like the AIDS virus,
it's gone wildfire. For guys like me, there used to be a sanctity about
Judaism that prevented these things from happening. That sanctity is
gone. When it comes to religion, I might talk the talk, but I'll walk my
own walk."

It "sickens" Steve to even walk into a
synagogue these days. He called the yeshiva system a "breeding ground
for sexual molestation."

He said the best "therapy" he's had has
been to talk to other victims, or "survivors," as he calls them. There's
an anger, tears are in his eyes as he gets ready to say his next
comment, which simply is, "Nobody is ever going to hurt me again."

He spends his days working as the office
manager of a medical facility. Many nights are spent in the gym, where
the strenuous exercise he puts himself through is often the best
therapy. He hopes to get his post-graduate education, and eventually
find the woman of his dreams and raise a family. And he wants to
continue doing what he can to make the issue of sexual molestation a
bigger part of the social conversation.

"A lot of people overlook this thing,
especially in the religious community," he said. "God forbid, we should
talk about it," he said in a mimicking way. "But these predators are
among us, and they are a danger to our children."

What of now, what of the future? Steve said
he doesn't live through a day when he doesn't think about his abuse. He
added that in his life, he has met a lot of "good people" who are also
survivors.

Does he believe in God any longer? He quickly answers yes, it's the system that he said lets him and other survivors down.

In his discussion, he'll insert a word of
Torah, an expression of Hebrew here and there. It's the neshamah (soul)
of this young man speaking. He sees many Jews in terms of the biblical
description erev rav, or mixed multitudes.

"These are the people who gave us the story
of the egel, the golden calf," he said. "These are people who say they
are Jewish, dress like they are Jewish, but then go ahead and hide from
the reality of sexual abuse. It's like they think it will just go away,
or it would never happen in the Jewish community."

If there is a hero in his life, he quickly points to his grandmother, who survived the Holocaust.

"When I think I've been through some bad
times, I try to pick up the phone and talk to her. She's in her 80s, and
I know if she's OK, then I know I'll be OK."

His answer for the future is to educate the public.

"This is a big deal. It's like if you throw
a pebble in the water, it creates a ripple effect, that's how we have
to educate people about what we've been through."

Steve's eyes are intense and he's staring off to the side.

"Considering what I have been through," he said. "I'm going to be OK."

Steve's Dad"It's affected my wife and the entire
family, and it's been going on through years." Steve's dad is the child
of Holocaust survivors. Israeli born, he's survived two wars. Yet, he's
never seen such a struggle as the one his abused son has lived through.
"This isn't like a medical problem, you treat it and it's over," he
said. "This is a lifetime problem, and it takes a long time to recover
from sexual abuse."

The family did approach an attorney and
Steve's yeshiva was questioned. But key evidence, said his dad, was
destroyed by the yeshiva administration, evidence that might have
resulted in charges against the former administrator. When reached on
his cell phone, the person at the Center of Steve's nightmare admitted
that he was the former administrator of the Midwest yeshiva. But when
given details of the former student's allegations against him, he
responded by saying, "I have no idea what you are talking about." He
hung up the phone. By press time, a call to the yeshiva president,
himself, was not returned.

The yeshiva authorities, Steve's dad said,
ended up victimizing the victims of their administrator. And both he and
his wife suspect that their son hasn't told them everything, that the
abuse was much worse.

"I would never suspect something of this
nature existing in the religious community," said the dad. "I would
expect that the yeshivas would address these issues as soon as they
discover them. It appears that the people who abused my son were both
known to have these tendencies, yet they were kept in their positions.
But because I didn't suspect anything, I never exposed my kids to these
possibilities of abuse. Before kids go to yeshiva, I feel parents should
educate them about sex offenders.

"We read news accounts of Palestinian
terrorists who disguise themselves in the clothing of Orthodox Jews and
then they blow themselves up as suicide bombers," continued the dad."A person who wears the clothing of an
Orthodox Jew and molests another person is the same as that suicide
bomber, only he's killing the soul of a child."

Why Is This A Big Deal?So Steve was touched on his penis, asked to masturbate in front of another man, and pressured to watch a porno movie.

There are those who might scoff at the
notion that these acts constitute sexual molestation. They might also
ask why Steve simply can't "get over it" and move on with his life.
After all, the sexual molestation could have been a great deal worse.
Why is all of this such a big deal? Yet for Steve and survivors of
sexual molestation, these actions of abuse, no matter how major or
minor, impact them every day of their lives.

Lisa Ferentz, a clinical social worker
based in Pikesville, and the creator of a certificate program in
Advanced Trauma Treatment, has spent years working with survivors of
sexual abuse. Ms. Ferentz believes that "we should never minimize acts
of sexual molestation because the experience profoundly affects a
child's fundamental sense of trust and safety in the world. Regardless
of what is attempted or done to a victim, it can lead to a deep sense of
loss. There is the loss of safety, innocence, appropriate boundaries,
protection, trust, physical and emotional safety. Having to keep the
abuse a secret exacerbates a sense of rage, shame and despair. This can
lead to a multitude of inevitable symptoms and problems as the survivor
develops. When the pain is overwhelming, many survivors attempt to
self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. The experience can be truly
life-altering."In addition, she said it is not unusual for a person to be repeatedly victimized, often by multiple perpetrators.

"When children are abused and threatened
into silence, they often exude a vulnerability, helplessness and despair
that resonates for perpetrators, making them potentially easy targets.
Pedophiles look for kids who are lacking in self-esteem, despondent or
passive. They tend to stay away from kids who appear to be confident,
happy and strong. They want to make sure their victim will not put up a
fight, and won't tell anyone afterward. Sadly, survivors are left asking
themselves, 'What am I doing to attract these people?' Although abuse
is never the victim's fault, this questioning begins a spiral of
self-blame, guilt and shame. And it decreases the survivor's ability to
advocate for safety in the future."Ms. Ferentz suggests that victims or
survivors start their journey toward healing by "finding someone they
can trust to disclose to: someone they know will absolutely believe
them. Therapy is an important tool toward recovery. With the proper
support and guidance, victims can truly survive and transcend their
abuse."_________________________________________________________________________________

Chicago Center For Torah And Chesed Honors Alleged Sex OffenderBy Shmyra RosenbergFailed Messiah Blog - June 7, 2011 Also notice that even though four couples are being honored, only the
men are pictured – there are no pictures of the women on the
promotional material. This follows the current ultra-Orthodox norm of
blotting women completely out of public life – something that was
unheard of 25 years ago:

State health officials have fined Emerald Park Health
Care Center, 9125 S. Pulaski Road, Evergreen Park, for failing to monitor
intoxicated patients, to report resident abuse or to to give special programs
to mentally ill patients.The Illinois Department of Public Health fined the
long-term care facility $20,000 after receiving three complaints on Emerald
Park's services and conducting an inspection into the complaints.According to health officials, inspectors cited Emerald
Park for failing to monitor residents who were known to often be
intoxicated.

Rabbi Morris Esformes - Alleged enabler of Yosef Meystel

One case proved to be fatal when inspectors learned
that a man with a history of alcoholism was carried to his room by an employee
and died of cardiac arrest 11 hours later.The facility was also fined when it did not report
senior abuse. A nursing employee said that she witnessed a resident pull
off another patient's wig and throw it on a fan.Although she told the resident not to do it again,
the staffer didn't try to interfere in the incident, and she didn't report
the act either, according to reports.IDPH said the employee didn't think the incident was
abusive.The patient was later admitted into a hospital on a
different occasion with a swollen face and a brain hemorrhage. IDPH said
that the administrator, Yosef Meystel, did not conduct an investigation
of the patient's injuries nor tell the state health department about
it.Telling IDPH about the hospitalization and injuries
is required by state law.Tammy Leonard, IDPH spokesperson, said that the health
department also recommended to the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services
that Emerald Park be fined for $6,400 for its federal deficiencies.CMC representative sheryl Powell said that Emerald
Park was fined for a total of $24,750, which they paid.Emerald Park's representatives were unavailable for
comment, but they requested a hearing on the fines. A date hasn't been set
yet for the hearing.This is not the first time that Emerald Park had been
fined by IDPH.In February 2002, the nursing center was fined $5,000
for failing to supervise smoking residents to avoid a fire.Emerald Park was fined $5,000 again in April 2003 for
failing to protect a resident from mental and physical abuse. The resident
alleged that the facility's security guard used intimidation and physical
pushing to interrogate him about an earlier incident.The facility is also on the 2001 and 2002 watch list
with Consumer Reports Online, and given high ratings of residential harm
on the National Home Watch List from July 2002 to October 2003.The facility is co-owned by Morris Esformes and Doreen
and Marvin Mermelstein.Marvin Mermelstein was named in a lawsuit with Emerald
Park when the estate of a patient alleged that the nursing home failed to
monitor her and prevent her from multiple falls.Esformes owns several nursing homes in Illinois that
have been investigated and/or fined for insufficient residential care.None of the owners could be reached for comment._________________________________________________________________________________Man Sues Emerald Park, Claims
NeglectBy YVETTE PRESBERRYSouthwest News-Herald – Oak Lawn, Burbank Edition
- April 28, 2004

After state health officials fined Emerald Park Health
Care Center, 9125 S. Pulaski Road, Evergreen Park, for neglecting to monitor
a resident's consistent intoxication that led to his death, the patient's
family filed a lawsuit against the nursing home.Danny Blair, brother of the late Eric Blair, filed
a lawsuit on April 19 in Cook County Circuit Court, charging Emerald with
abuse and neglect of his brother.John Perconti, Danny Blair's lawyer, said that the
10-page complaint accuses Emerald of abuse and neglect, lack of supervision
and monitoring and allowance of intoxication.According to the Illinois Department of Public Health,
Eric Blair was well known at Emerald for his alcholism history.In October 2003, Blair drank so much alcohol that he
passed out. An employee allegedly carried him to his room where he died 11
hours later of a cardiac arrest.In their report, IDPH's investigators said that one
of Emerald Park's night nurses told the paramedics, "It's not unusual for
(Eric Blair) to get drunk. Not every night, but he is a regular."IDPH concluded in their report that not only had Emerald
failed to monitor Blair's alcohol intake and actions, but the facility also
failed to monitor other residents who were frequently drunk."We know he wasn't being watched," said Perconti, who
stated that Eric Blair was found in a rigor mortis condition when he was
dead. He also said that the head board on Blair's bed was broken, suggesting
that he injured himself.Perconti said that a monitor has now been placed at
Emerald.The facility's administrator Yosef Meystel said
that he could not comment on the case since it is pending
litigation.Perconti said that this is its third case against Emerald
Park.One pertained to a resident suffering from malnutrition,
and the other was of an alleged sexual assault of a female
resident.Both cases are still pending, said Perconti.Emerald Park is owned by Doreen and Marvin Mermelstein
and Rabbi Morris Esformes.Doreen Mermelstein owns 50 percent of a nusring home
on the north side of Chicago. Marvin Mermelstein owns the other half of that
facility, plus percentages of ownership in three other Chicago nursing homes,
and one in Chicago Ridge.Esformes owns nursing homes throughout Illinois and
Missouri, and has been at the center of several cases regarding patient care
at his facilities.He could not be reached for comment._________________________________________________________________________________State seeks outside director for troubled nursing
homeKnight-Ridder / Tribune Business News - April 29,
2005

Apr. 28--Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan asked Wednesday
that a judge appoint an outside administrator for an Evergreen Park nursing
home, which was found to be housing 10 sex offenders this month, as a first
step toward trying to shut down the facility.Madigan filed a motion with the Cook County Circuit
Court to have a receiver run the 249-bed Emerald Park Health Care Center
at 9125 S. Pulaski Rd. while state officials seek to revoke its license.The action comes on the heels of a spate of complaints
from Evergreen Park officials and state legislators that the home is poorly
run."We're taking this drastic action to protect the residents
of both Evergreen Park and the care center," Madigan said in a prepared
statement.The long-term care facility was thrust into the spotlight
early this month when a sweep by Illinois State Police found eight registered
and two unregistered sex offenders living there.Police arrested the two who had failed to register
and two other residents on unrelated warrants from the Cook County sheriff's
office.Four days after the sweep, another resident was
found to be a sex offender and was arrested at a park where staff had taken
him with other residents. As a result of that incident, home administrator
Yosef Meystel was charged with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor.Care center officials then said they no longer would
admit sex offenders and promised to transfer those currently living there
to other facilities.But the home has had other problems. Two weeks ago,
small fires were intentionally set at the facility, Illinois Department of
Public Health said.Last year, the center was fined $10,000 for allegedly
failing to provide adequate supervision of a resident with a sexually transmitted
disease who became pregnant after she engaged in sexual activity with multiple
partners in exchange for favors and cigarettes, the Health Department
said.In 2003, Emerald Park was fined $20,000 for, among
other things, failing to monitor a resident who passed out after becoming
intoxicated and for allowing another resident to leave the facility unnoticed,
the agency said."While recent events have highlighted gross mismanagement
at this facility, it has a long history of problematic incidents," Madigan
said. "The bottom line is the state can no longer allow current management
to keep putting the community and residents at risk."A hearing on Madigan's motion for a receiver is scheduled
for Thursday before Judge Patrick McGann.The Health Department began proceedings to revoke Emerald
Park's operating license in June 2004, said Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, the state
public health director. A hearing is scheduled for July 18, but Whitaker
said the department decided it cannot wait and requested that Madigan seek
a receiver.Emerald Park administrators could not be reached Wednesday
for comment. The center's attorney, Frances Meehan, said the facility will
oppose appointment of a receiver and intends to fight the proposed license
revocation."There's been an awful lot of negative publicity about
nursing homes lately, and Emerald Park has become a victim of that publicity,"
Meehan said. "We strongly disagree with the contention that the home has
been mismanaged."State Rep. James Brosnahan (D-Evergreen Park), state
Sen. Edward Maloney (D-Chicago) and Evergreen Park Mayor Jim Sexton issued
statements saying they're pleased with the moves by Whitaker and
Madigan."We want safe neighborhoods for our families and closing
this facility will accomplish that," Sexton said._________________________________________________________________________________Nursing Home Back in Village's
DoghouseDaily Southtown - April 9, 2005

Evergreen Park officials want to shut down a nursing
home after two unregistered child sex offenders were arrested during a sweep
at the facility.Recently, police learned eight registered sex offenders
live at Emerald Park Health Care Center."We're not going to take no for an answer," Mayor James
Sexton said Friday. "Enough is enough."Sexton and Police Chief Michael Saunders met Friday
with officials from the Illinois attorney general's office about the
facility."We want more stringent rules and regulations on how
nursing facilities can be run," Sexton said. "That particular one is nothing
more than a flop house."The meeting with the attorney general's director of
policy came one day after a sweep led by the Illinois State Police Medicare
Fraud Unit.Police arrested four people, including the two unregistered
child sex offenders, during the sweep at the nursing home, 9125 S. Pulaski
Road.The 249-bed skilled and intermediate care facility
serves geriatric and mentally ill residents.The police chief said he was concerned about having
so many sex offenders living in one place."It's very alarming to me. It's immoral and unethical
having this type of behavior in this community," Saunders said. "The safety
of this community comes first, and they're disregarding the concerns of residents
of this community."Sexton said nursing home residents have rights, but
so do the community's residents."The system has bent over backwards maintaining the
rights of the Emerald Park residents," Sexton said."But violating the rights of the people who live here
in Evergreen Park. It's gone on far too long and disrupted too many
people."Emerald Park administrator Yosef Meystel could not
be reached for comment Friday.The nursing home has been disciplined and fined for
serious violations by state regulators several times since 2002.The Illinois Department of Public Health in September
began proceedings to revoke the facility's license.In October 2003, the facility was fined $20,000 for
not providing nursing services in accordance with residents' needs. In one
case, it failed to properly monitor a resident who passed out and died after
becoming intoxicated, the state reported.In another case, a patient at the home exchanged sex
for cigarettes and carried a child undetected for eight months.Tammy Leonard, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department
of Public Health, said her department has been in close contact with the
attorney general's office since the state police sweep Thursday.A hearing on the revocation proceedings is scheduled
for July.Sexton said the police department Friday turned over
to the attorney general's office copies of police reports dating as far back
as 1998 and other documents about the nursing home.State Police Master Sgt. Arturo Martinez said the sweeps
are done to get people wanted on active warrants out of state-funded nursing
homes and to "ultimately make it a better place to live."The state police periodically check the backgrounds
of residents to determine if arrests need to be made.Police said the people arrested Thursday were:James Cothrain, 57, on a Cook County warrant for
obstructing a court order for criminal damage to property;Jerry L. Williams, 49, on a Cook County warrant for
violation of a conditional release on domestic battery charges;Maurice Young, 46, on a Chicago Police Department warrant
for battery and because he failed to register as a child sex offender;Tyrone Barber, 54, for failing to register as a child
sex offender.Stephanie Gehring may be reached at
sgehring@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5971. _________________________________________________________________________________State sues facility housing ex-consBY CHRIS FUSCO AND LORI RACKL Staff Reporters
AdvertisementChicago Sun-Times - April 28, 2005

The state is moving to immediately begin shutting down
an Evergreen Park nursing home, citing "gross mismanagement" that led to
residents -- several with criminal pasts -- hurting each other and posing
a threat to the south suburb's residents.Emerald Park Healthcare Center, 9125 S. Pulaski, is
expected to respond to the near-unprecedented action by Attorney General
Lisa Madigan this morning in Cook County Circuit Court.Madigan sued the nursing home Wednesday, claiming it
racked up 168 federal health care violations since 1997 -- including patients
falling out of windows and a resident's pregnancy going unnoticed for eight
months.

CENTER'S PROBLEMSThe state's lawsuit cites a litany of problems reported
at Emerald Park Healthcare Center:Two residents seriously injured themselves after falling
out of unsecured windows.A mentally ill woman was bartering sexual favors for
cigarettes. She came down with genital warts. When doctors were treating
her, they discovered she was 8 months pregnant. Emerald was unaware of her
pregnancy.Staff members tore a wig off a resident and tossed
it around. Other employees who saw the incident didn't intervene.Last May, an insulin-dependent diabetic didn't get
the right medicine, causing the patient's blood sugar to spike to four times
the normal level.A public health surveyor in July had to prompt Emerald
staff to help a choking resident. The resident was supposed to be on a diet
of soft foods and liquids but had been seen eating pretzels.Staff have improperly supervised residents who'd been
drinking alcohol. One drunken resident died. Emerald "failed to provide
sufficient care in response to his intoxication."Residents repeatedly escaped unnoticed, with Evergreen
Park police receiving 114 reports of "missing" residents since 1997. A resident
with a history of leaving the facility was spotted walking down the street
by a state surveyor arriving for an inspection.The attorney general also took aim at the facility's
handling of parolees and registered sex offenders. A Chicago Sun-Times
investigation published this week showed that 100 sex offenders and 61 parolees
convicted of non-sex crimes have been living at nursing homes across Illinois,
typically unbeknown to other residents.

Probe cites 'aggressive' behaviorState officials said sex offenders and parolees make
up a miniscule segment of the nursing home population, and there are few
reports of them being dangerous.But a recent state Health Department investigation
at Emerald Park pointed to "aggressive and threatening behaviors of residents
with extensive criminal histories who posed as a threat to residents in the
facility, as well as to residents in the community." At least 16 people with
criminal pasts lived at Emerald Park. Among the incidents in the April 22
state report:*A convicted child molester diagnosed with schizophrenia
was reprimanded for standing over female residents as they slept. Records
also indicate he physically abused fellow residents and told staff he would
"cut them up in little pieces."*That same resident was arrested April 11 after police
learned he was on a supervised outing at a park adjacent to an Evergreen
Park school. Sex offenders aren't supposed to loiter near schools, but the
Emerald Park employee said she didn't know the man was a sex offender and
had taken him to the park several times.*A schizophrenic parolee who served 13 years in prison
for sexually abusing a girl committed several violent acts. In March, he
was caught smoking marijuana and threatening to kill other residents. Later
that month, he came out of his room naked and attacked a guard.*On April 12, a mentally ill parolee whose criminal
history includes burglary and theft left Emerald Park without staff knowing,
even though "he is not allowed to leave . . . because of his parole
status."

'We can no longer wait'

Rabbi Morris Esformes

Emerald Park's majority owner is Morris Esformes, who
state records show has ownership in 17 other long-term care facilities in
Illinois. Neither he nor his lawyer could be reached. The nursing home's
administrator, Yosef Meystel, was unaware of the lawsuit but said state efforts
to begin shutting down the facility were unwarranted.Madigan wants a judge to put new managers in charge
and begin transferring Emerald Park's 243 residents to other nursing homes.
Eighty percent are mentally ill; the remainder are elderly.The lawsuit hits the fast-forward button on the state
Health Department's move last year to revoke the nursing home's license.
A hearing on the license revocation is scheduled July 18. "We feel we can
no longer wait until the July hearing to take action," Health Department
chief Eric Whitaker said._________________________________________________________________________________

A troubled Evergreen Park nursing home is being shut
down in the wake of reports of illegal drug use, violence and threats of
sexual assault against female residents.Its former operator was accused Friday of manipulating
residents so they'll transfer to other homes owned by the same firm.Emerald Park Healthcare Center will be open only another
two weeks, after federal officials announced they're cutting all Medicaid
and Medicare funding to the facility.About 40 residents have already been moved to other
facilities, and 200 more will be transferred in the next 10 days by Pathway
Health Services, which has operated the facility at Emerald Park's expense
since April.Cook County Judge Julia Nowicki put Pathway in charge
of the facility after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan accused its
leaders of "gross mismanagement."Pathway produced a report showing repeated negligence,
which was cited in the revocation of all federal funding.Even as the nursing home was being shut down, the state
reported during a court hearing Friday, the center's former administrator,
Yosef Meystel, was "at the facility, telling residents it's being closed
down and to sign papers transferring" them to other homes owned by Morris
Esformes.

Ex-administrator told to leave"They're in there right now undermining everything
we're doing in court," Assistant Attorney General Deborah Simpson said.Nowicki ordered him removed from the building, adding
that if the allegation was true, it would be a violation of her orders.Simpson argued Meystel was one of the "reasons the
place is in the position it is in," and he shouldn't be allowed back, but
Nowicki will allow Meystel to be there for eight hours Monday to observe
Pathway's actions at the building at 9125 S. Pulaski Rd.She also agreed that his presence could ease concerns
of residents, most of whom are elderly or mentally ill.Emerald Park attorneys also persuaded Nowicki to allow
another top administrator, Sue Block, to supervise activities this weekend,
claiming residents could suffer from "transfer trauma" unless they're around
officials they know.But Nowicki cautioned that if Block or Meystel interfere
with the transfers, she could cite them."My primary goal is the safety of the individuals there
and to get them relocated with as little trauma as possible," she said.Pathway executive Kim Hysjulien told Nowicki that her
company would be responsible for transferring patients and coordinating the
layoff of about 200 staffers.

Cost of new manager questionedEmerald Park attorneys didn't challenge the closure,
but they questioned the number of nurses and administrators working to close
the home, complaining that their bills are nearing $100,000. Nowicki will
address that issue on Wednesday. Emerald Park attorneys refused to answer
questions after the hearing.Gail O'Connor, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's
office, said Madigan is pleased with the shutdown, which she believes "is
in the best interests of the residents and the community."The state has considered closing the center since last
year, but its problems came to a head last month after the Sun-Times reported
that 10 sex offenders were living there, including two who had not registered
with the state.The state, in petitioning for closure, also cited incidents
in which unsupervised residents were trading sex for cigarettes, passing
out from drinking, wandering off and setting fires inside the facility._________________________________________________________________________________

Yosef Meystel of YAM Management Explains Property Management

YAM Management Executive, Yosef Meystel, Lends Insight to the Field of Property Management.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) - Jul 25, 2010

Skokie,
IL - Yosef Meystel of YAM Management, a property management company
located in Skokie, Illinois, has offered insight to the industry of
property management. Property management is the operation of commercial,
industrial and/or residential real estate and is very similar to the
role of management in any business. Property Management is also the
management of personal property, equipment, tooling and physical capital
assets that are acquired and used to build, repair and maintain end
item deliverables. Property Management involves the processes, systems
and manpower required to manage the life cycle of all acquired property
as defined above including Acquisition, Control, Accountability,
Maintenance, Utilization, and disposition.

About Yosef Meystel:Yosef
Meystel is the president of YAM Management, a property management
company located in Skokie, Illinois. YAM management operates several
nursing home facilities and properties located within Illinois._________________________________________________________________________________

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Survivors ARE Heroes!

The Awareness Center believes ALL survivors of sex crimes should be given yellow ribbons to wear proudly.

Survivors of sexual violence (as adults and/or as a child) are just as deserving of a yellow ribbon as the men and women of our armed forces, who have been held captive as hostages or prisoners of war.

Survivors of sexual violence have been forced to learn how to survive, being held captive not by foreigners, but mostly by their own family members, teachers, camp counselors, coaches babysitters, rabbis, cantors or other trusted authority figures.

For these reasons ALL survivors of sexual violence should be seen as heroes!